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Photo by Rita da Silva published on the page Ajuda O Mano Azagaia (Help Brother Azagaia) and used with permission. The campaign raised 10% of the funds for treatment on its first day.

Mozambican rapper Edson da Luz, better known as Azagaia, has revealed on his social media accounts that he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. Some weeks ago, he suffered a strong epileptic attack and started to show behavior inconsistent with his personality, such as states of mental confusion and memory loss. Exams in Mozambique and South Africa confirmed a tumor on the left side of his brain.

If not operated on soon, the 30-year-old singer could die within two years. Considering the high cost of intervention in Mozambique and the probable wait time for surgery through the country's national health system, Azagaia was advised to continue treatment in India. Meanwhile, without financial resources to pay for the operation costing US $25,000, the musician is asking for contributions from his fans:

All that I want is to get the money for this operation in India, but always praying for a miracle. From the bottom of my heart, the miracle that I want to see happen, is that this tumor disappears as it appeared, that is, without them having to take a knife to my head.

Azagaia, whose name means spear, has won fans for challenging those in power and addressing social issues in his music. His lyrics have caught the attention of government officials, too; in 2008, he was called in for questioning at the attorney general's office related to his music allegedly inciting violence.